But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8

I was six years old when I climbed through a small opening in the back of a bush plane and onto the tiny bench seat with two other kids heading to a missionary boarding school. The plane only had seats for six passengers, but we were so small, eight of us fit in it. As the pilot pulled a seat belt over my brown shorts and squeezed three of us into the two-person seat, I felt the heaving of my friend’s chest and looked over to see tears running down his cheeks. I gritted my teeth, determined not to shed a tear, thinking the lack of them would show I was ready for this new adventure. My mom’s tactic to avoid the same was sunglasses. The pilot climbed in completed his checklist, fired up the engine and rolled down the runway.

What would cause godly, loving parents serving the Lord in a far-away-land to strap their kid to an airplane and send him 400 miles away to boarding school? Who does the math analysis on that equation and comes up with this answer? What is worth that?

My parents answer, by example, is Jesus and His mission. As difficult as that experience was for both me and my parents, we look back on the experience and say that it was worth it. Everything that seemed in that moment to be loss was cared for by God. We were asked by God for much for the purpose of world impact, and as a strong family, there’s nothing we would change. We look back and see God’s power at work in our lives.

While you may not be asked by God to go through an experience like this, His Way includes using each of us to impact the world. It always costs us something, as we will see this Sunday in the ‘Essentials of World Impact’. I can’t wait to show you how Jesus equips us to be His witnesses – no matter where you are in the world or what you are asked to do to impact it, Jesus’ Way is best. I believe it even more than I did forty years ago: we are loved AND sent, to glorify Him.

Listen to the worship set to prepare your heart.
Can’t wait to be with you this Sunday!

Nate Newell
Pastor of Mission and Ministry Development